Rent lifts Colorado's score most: typical rent of $1,761 a month is the 5th highest nationally
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Colorado scores 42 out of 100.
Coloradans carry more household debt per person than people in any state; only Washington, D.C., runs higher. Few fall far behind: just 9.0% had a debt in collections in early 2025, the 9th lowest share nationally. About half of Colorado renters, 50.4%, spent 30% or more of their income on housing over 2020 to 2024. Costilla County, which had the state's highest jobless rate in August 2026, is also its most distressed.
- Score
- 42/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Colorado ranks among the states
Coloradans carry more household debt per person than people anywhere but D.C., yet fewer of them are seriously behind than in most states. Household debt came to $92,690 per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, against $63,200 nationwide; only Washington, D.C., at $102,400, was higher (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). In early 2025, just 9.0% of Coloradans with a credit report had a debt in collections, the 9th lowest share. Of mortgage borrowers, 0.8% were 90 or more days behind, tied for 7th lowest (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). That debt figure includes mortgages, and mortgages are bigger where homes cost more, so a big balance isn’t by itself a sign of strain. Put together, Colorado is the 30th most distressed of the 50 states and D.C.
What drives the score
Each measure is ranked against the other states, and each part is scored 0 to 100. Late payments averages three measures and collections and bankruptcy averages two; jobs and renters’ costs have one each. The score is the share of the other 50 states and D.C. whose average of the four parts is lower. So it isn’t the average of the parts: Colorado’s parts average 46, and its score is 42.
- Renters’ housing costs58Its highest part: 25.1% of renters paid half or more of their income for housing in 2024
- Jobs52Unemployment averaged 3.9% over the three months from June to August 2026 (4.0% in August alone), near the middle of the states
- Collections and bankruptcy39Bankruptcy filings near the middle; one of the smallest shares with a debt in collections
- Late payments3510.5% of card borrowers and 6.4% of car-loan borrowers were seriously behind in early 2025, fewer than in most states
Beside its neighbors
New Mexico and Oklahoma score higher; Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska score lower.
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100. Arizona meets Colorado only at the Four Corners, so it isn’t counted as a neighbor. Of these seven states, only New Mexico gets a higher renters’ costs score than Colorado.
Which way it’s heading
At its worst
19th most distressed, with a score of 64, in the first quarter of 2011
By early 2025
27th most distressed, with a score of 48; its least distressed was 43rd, in 2017
Why it’s less distressed now
Today it is 30th. Newer figures for jobs and renters’ costs both make Colorado look less distressed: its jobs part fell from 72 to 52, and renters’ costs from 72 to 58
Colorado’s score peaked in 2011, hit its low in 2017 and climbed back toward the middle by early 2025
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100, each quarter, third quarter of 2006 to first quarter of 2025
Is Colorado expensive to live in?
For housing, yes. The typical rent was $1,761 a month in 2020 to 2024, 5th highest among the 50 states and D.C., against $1,413 nationwide. Of Colorado renters, 50.4% spent 30% or more of their income on housing, 5th highest (Census Bureau, American Community Survey). We don’t measure the prices of food, gas or child care, so we don’t rank the overall cost of living.
Median rent
$1,761
U.S. $1,413
5th highest, 2020 to 2024
Renters spending 30% or more of income on housing
50.4%
U.S. 47.6%
5th highest, 2020 to 2024
Homeowners spending 30% or more of income on housing
24.5%
U.S. 22.5%
13th highest, 2020 to 2024
Since 2005, Colorado’s share of renters paying half their income for housing has stayed within about two points of the nation’s
Share of renter households paying half or more of their income for rent and utilities, Colorado and the United States, 2005 to 2024. No 2020 figure.
Renters’ costs score highest of Colorado’s four parts even though, as the chart shows, its share of renters paying half or more of their income for housing is close to the nation’s. Each part ranks Colorado against the other states, and it ranks better still on jobs, bankruptcy and late payments.
What it takes to get by
MIT’s Living Wage Calculator estimates that a single adult with no children in Colorado needs about $54,071 a year before taxes to cover basic costs. In our ranking of MIT’s state figures, that is 10th highest of the 50 states and D.C. For two working parents with two children, the figure is about $141,610, 8th highest.
MIT Living Wage Calculator, 2025 dollars.
Pricier than its neighbors
Colorado’s typical rent is higher than in any neighboring state, and a year of typical rent takes a bigger share of typical income here than in any of them. Our score’s renters’ costs part counts something else, the share of renters paying half or more of their income, and on that New Mexico is higher.
| State | Rent | Income | Rent share | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $1,761 Rent Income $96,871 Rent share 21.8% · Owners 66.2% | $96,871 | 21.8% | 66.2% |
| New Mexico | $1,067 Rent Income $67,838 Rent share 18.9% · Owners 70.0% | $67,838 | 18.9% | 70.0% |
| Utah | $1,496 Rent Income $96,398 Rent share 18.6% · Owners 70.2% | $96,398 | 18.6% | 70.2% |
| Oklahoma | $1,014 Rent Income $66,124 Rent share 18.4% · Owners 65.8% | $66,124 | 18.4% | 65.8% |
| Kansas | $1,060 Rent Income $75,402 Rent share 16.9% · Owners 67.2% | $75,402 | 16.9% | 67.2% |
| Nebraska | $1,072 Rent Income $76,578 Rent share 16.8% · Owners 66.5% | $76,578 | 16.8% | 66.5% |
| Wyoming | $992 Rent Income $76,975 Rent share 15.5% · Owners 71.8% | $76,975 | 15.5% | 71.8% |
Rent: median monthly rent. Owners: share of homes lived in by their owners. Both from the Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024. Income: median household income, Census Bureau, 2024. Rent share: a year of median rent against median income, our calculation; rent is a 2020 to 2024 figure and income is 2024’s, so the share is a rough guide.
What changed in Colorado in the past year
Changes that reached household budgets between last fall and the October 2026 figures, newest first.
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Oct 1, 2026
Food aid costs shift to the state
The federal budget law set October 1 as the day states start paying 75% of the cost of running SNAP, up from 50%. The Colorado Department of Human Services says the state’s total SNAP budget will be $50 million smaller next year.
Colorado Politics, Sept. 30, 2026
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Sept 27, 2026
2027 health plan prices
Prices for health plans bought on the individual market are set to rise 10% on average in 2027, after a 23% rise for 2026. People who qualify for the state’s help and the remaining federal help will pay about $20 a month more, the Colorado Division of Insurance says.
Colorado Capitol News Alliance, via KUNC
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Aug 19, 2026
Xcel Energy bills
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved an Xcel Energy rate increase that adds $5 a month to home bills, starting August 29.
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Aug 12, 2026
Fewer people on SNAP
Federal work rules now require adults without children who are able to work to log 20 hours a week of work or training to keep SNAP. The U.S. Department of Agriculture counted 574,601 Coloradans getting SNAP in July 2026, 5.2% fewer than a year earlier.
Colorado Newsline; U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Apr 14, 2026
Disaster aid denied
The federal government turned down Colorado’s appeals for major disaster declarations after the Elk and Lee fires burned more than 137,000 acres in Rio Blanco County and floods did more than $13 million in damage in southwestern Colorado, both in 2025. State officials said it was the first such denial in 35 years.
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Dec 4, 2025
Health plan sign-ups dip
With larger federal tax credits for marketplace plans set to expire, 210,139 people had signed up for 2026 coverage early in open enrollment, about 5% fewer than at the same point a year before. The state added its own premium help for households earning between one and four times the poverty line.
How is Colorado’s economy doing? Jobs and unemployment
Steady, with joblessness a little under the national rate. Colorado’s unemployment rate was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.1% nationwide, and it has been below the U.S. rate in every month published since May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). To file a claim, go to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Unemployment rate
4.0%
U.S. 4.1%
Tied for 24th highest, August 2026
Income per person
$83,055
U.S. $73,204
10th highest, 2024
Population growth
3.9%
15th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2020 to 2025
Colorado’s jobless rate has been under the nation’s in every month published since May 2025
Monthly unemployment rate, Colorado and the United States, adjusted for seasonal swings, January 1990 to August 2026. There is no October 2025 figure: the bureau skipped it during the federal shutdown.
Where joblessness runs highest
The statewide rate hides a gap. In August 2026, Costilla County’s unemployment rate, 8.0%, was the highest of Colorado’s counties, and Huerfano (7.0%), Las Animas (6.9%) and Pueblo (6.6%) were also far above the state’s. All four are among the ten most distressed counties on our index (see the counties). Yuma County, on the eastern plains, had the lowest rate, 2.7%.
County rates: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not adjusted for seasonal swings.
Long-idle parts of the Colorado Fuel and Iron steel mill in Pueblo, photographed in 2015. The mill ran blast furnaces until 1982, when the steel market collapsed.
Source: Wikipedia, Pueblo, Colorado. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
The poorest and most distressed counties in Colorado
Crowley County, on the plains east of Pueblo, is Colorado’s poorest: 39.0% of its residents lived in poverty in 2024, the Census Bureau estimates. On our County Distress Index, Costilla County, in the San Luis Valley, is the most financially distressed, and Douglas County, between Denver and Colorado Springs, is the least.
Colorado has 5 counties scoring 80 or higher and 32 of 64 scoring below 30
County Distress Index score, 0 to 100, for Colorado’s 64 counties, data through August 2026.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Most distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Costilla | 93 | 22.8% |
| 2 | Las Animas | 90 | 19.8% |
| 3 | Pueblo | 87 | 15.8% |
| 4 | Bent | 82 | 28.9% |
| 5 | Otero | 81 | 19.0% |
| 6 | Huerfano | 72 | 19.2% |
| 7 | Saguache | 72 | 23.7% |
| 8 | Fremont | 70 | 15.3% |
| 9 | Alamosa | 66 | 17.9% |
| 10 | Delta | 63 | 13.0% |
Least distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Phillips | 10 | 11.4% |
| 61 | Gunnison | 9 | 11.0% |
| 62 | Gilpin | 8 | 7.3% |
| 63 | Elbert | 7 | 5.7% |
| 64 | Douglas | 5 | 4.3% |
Rank in Colorado, 1 = most distressed. Ranks use unrounded scores, so two counties with the same printed score can rank differently. Poverty: share of residents in poverty, Census Bureau, 2024.
Every county, by score
Of Colorado’s 64 counties, 32 score below 30; 13 score from 30 to 49 and 11 from 50 to 69.
5 score 80–100
11 score 50–69
Alamosa, Delta, Crowley, Prowers, Montezuma, Morgan, Rio Grande, Adams, Conejos, Sedgwick, Baca
13 score 30–49
Denver, Mineral, Arapahoe, Logan, Lincoln, El Paso, Dolores, Montrose, Weld, San Juan, Mesa, Moffat, Lake
32 score 0–29
Kiowa, Yuma, Cheyenne, Teller, Jackson, Larimer, Washington, Archuleta, Custer, La Plata, Kit Carson, Jefferson, Boulder, Park, Rio Blanco, Hinsdale, Ouray, Chaffee, Eagle, Clear Creek, Broomfield, Garfield, Pitkin, Grand, San Miguel, Summit, Routt, Phillips, Gunnison, Gilpin, Elbert, Douglas
Poorest isn’t the same as most distressed
A poverty rate looks at income alone. The County Distress Index has five equal parts, and just one is built from poverty, income, health insurance and disability; the rest cover late payments, collections and bankruptcy, jobs, and housing costs. So Crowley, the poorest county, ranks only 11th on distress. Pueblo County runs the other way: its poverty rate of 15.8% is only the 14th highest in the state, yet it is the third most distressed. Adams County, in Denver’s northern suburbs, has a poverty rate of 9.8%, close to the state’s, but ranks 16th of 64.
The five poorest counties
| County | Poverty | Distress rank |
|---|---|---|
| Crowley | 39.0% | 11th |
| Bent | 28.9% | 4th |
| Saguache | 23.7% | 7th |
| Costilla | 22.8% | 1st |
| Las Animas | 19.8% | 2nd |
San Luis, the Costilla County seat, shown in 2012, is the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado. Settlers from the Taos Valley took possession of this part of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant on April 9, 1851.
Source: Wikipedia, San Luis, Colorado. Photo: Jeffrey Beall, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Douglas County has Colorado’s highest income and lowest poverty
The typical Douglas County household earned $152,657 in 2024, the most of any Colorado county, and 4.3% of its residents lived in poverty, the lowest share. In Costilla County, the typical household earned $43,575, the lowest.
Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024.
Is Colorado a poor state?
No. In 2024, 9.6% of Coloradans lived in poverty, against 12.1% nationwide, and the typical household earned $96,871, against $81,604 (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates).
Residents in poverty
9.6%
U.S. 12.1%
7th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Median household income
$96,871
U.S. $81,604
9th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Children in poverty
11.2%
U.S. 15.5%
Tied for 7th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
In every Census estimate since 1989, a smaller share of Coloradans than of all Americans lived in poverty
Share of residents in poverty, Colorado and the United States, 1989 to 2024
Looking for Colorado’s poverty level? The federal poverty guideline is the same in every state but Alaska and Hawaii. For 2026 it is $15,960 for a single person and $33,000 for a family of four (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
What weighs on Colorado’s households
Three possible pressures, from what our figures show.
Housing costs. Rent is among the highest in the country. Renters’ costs, the share of renters paying half or more of their income, score highest of the four parts on our index (see the cost of living).
A few much poorer counties. Crowley, Bent, Saguache, Costilla, Las Animas and Huerfano each have a poverty rate at least twice the state’s (see the counties).
Big balances. Debt per person is second only to D.C., and the share of card borrowers seriously behind has risen since 2019 (see behind on bills).
Help with food and health care
In July 2026, 9.6% of Coloradans got SNAP food benefits, more than before the pandemic but fewer than a year earlier (see what changed). A count of people on SNAP isn’t a measure of need: rules and outreach change who signs up.
| Measure | Colo. | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents getting SNAP, July 2026 Tied for 27th highest | 9.6% U.S. 10.5% | 10.5% | Tied for 27th highest |
| People getting SNAP, July 2026 | 574,601 | ||
| People getting SNAP before the pandemic | 435,621 | ||
| Residents without health insurance, 2020 to 2024 23rd highest | 7.7% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | 23rd highest |
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C., highest first. SNAP: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration; before the pandemic means the average from October 2019 to February 2020. Health insurance: Census Bureau, American Community Survey. To apply for SNAP: Colorado Department of Human Services →
Are Coloradans behind on their bills?
Fewer than in most states. In early 2025, 13.1% of Coloradans with a credit report had a debt 90 or more days past due, against 17.2% nationwide, tied for 18th lowest (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). This is household debt, not state government debt.
Counting from the lowest share among the 50 states and D.C., Colorado is tied for 16th lowest for card borrowers and 9th lowest for collections. It is tied for 22nd lowest for car loans and tied for 7th lowest for mortgages. The U.S. figure is our population-weighted average of the states.
The share of Colorado card borrowers seriously behind rose from 7.7% at the end of 2019 to 10.5% in early 2025, though it is still below the U.S. share. Collections went the other way, down from 13.8% at the end of 2019. Most of that fall followed a change in what credit reports show. The three credit bureaus stopped reporting most medical debts in collections in 2022 and 2023 (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, April 29, 2024).
Other signs of strain
| Measure | Colo. | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, Sept 2025 Tied for 7th lowest | 1.1% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | Tied for 7th lowest |
| Card users near their credit limit, early 2025 Tied for 12th lowest | 22.9% U.S. 26.9% | 26.9% | Tied for 12th lowest |
| Credit card debt per person with a credit report, end of 2025 10th highest | $4,910 U.S. $4,350 | $4,350 | 10th highest |
Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, an early stage of falling behind: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mortgage Performance Trends. Card users near their limit: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Card debt per person: Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Dollars behind, a second measure
The New York Fed measures something else: how much of what Coloradans owe is 90 or more days late. By that count Colorado sits below the country on all three loan types.
| Loan type | Colo. | U.S. | Colo. 2019 | U.S. 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 11.1% End of 2025 U.S. 12.4% Colo. 2019 6.5% · U.S. 2019 8.1% | 12.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| Auto loan | 4.0% End of 2025 U.S. 5.2% Colo. 2019 3.4% · U.S. 2019 4.9% | 5.2% | 3.4% | 4.9% |
| Mortgage | 0.8% End of 2025 U.S. 0.9% Colo. 2019 0.4% · U.S. 2019 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 1.0% |
Share of balances 90 or more days past due, end of 2025 and end of 2019. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. It counts dollars, not people, so it doesn’t match the Philadelphia Fed figures above, and it includes old debts that lenders have written off but still report.
How many people file for bankruptcy in Colorado?
Close to the national middle. In 2025, 8,641 bankruptcy cases were filed in Colorado, or 143.7 for every 100,000 residents (2025 population), against 166.3 nationwide, the 25th highest rate (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts).
Filings per 100,000 residents
143.7
U.S. 166.3
25th highest, 2025
Increase from 2024
11.3%
U.S. 11.1%
2025 against 2024
Share filed as Chapter 13
17.6%
U.S. 35.9%
Tied for 12th lowest, 2025
Filings have climbed from 5,193 in 2022 and 7,761 in 2024, but they remain far below the 32,776 cases of 2010, after the housing crash. Fewer than one in five Colorado cases were Chapter 13 repayment plans; most of the rest were Chapter 7, which wipes out many debts. Colorado lets filers protect up to $250,000 of home equity, or more for older or disabled owners (see the foreclosure section).
How does foreclosure work in Colorado?
Most Colorado foreclosures don’t go through a full lawsuit. A county official called the Public Trustee runs the sale. First comes a short court hearing, known as a Rule 120 hearing. It checks a few narrow points, such as whether the loan is in default and whether you’re on active military duty. You can stop the sale by catching up. That means filing a written notice of intent to cure with the Public Trustee at least 15 calendar days before the sale, then paying the amount owed by noon the day before.
- Who runs the sale
- County Public Trustee
- First sale date after the foreclosure notice is recorded
- 110 to 125 days
- Notice to catch up, filed before the sale
- 15 calendar days
- Lender can seek the balance left after the sale
- Yes
- Right to buy the home back after the sale
- No
- Home equity protected from most creditors
- $250,000
What the law says for a home you live in. Federal rules usually bar the mortgage company from starting until you’re more than 120 days behind. The protected amount rises to $350,000 when an owner, spouse or dependent living there is 60 or older or disabled, and it doesn’t stop the lender from foreclosing. Sources: Colorado Revised Statutes 38-38-104, 38-38-106, 38-38-108, 38-38-302 and 38-41-201; Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 120; federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41. How foreclosure works in Colorado →
Few Colorado homeowners are behind on their mortgage, but more homeowners here than in most states have little equity. In the second quarter of 2026, 7.1% of outstanding first mortgages had less than 10% equity, tied for 5th highest, against 4.7% nationwide (Federal Housing Finance Agency, National Mortgage Database). That isn’t distress today; it matters if prices fall or an owner has to sell soon.
Colorado received $175.1 million from the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund, which had helped 10,067 households with mortgage payments and other housing costs through the first quarter of 2026 (U.S. Treasury).
Colorado mortgage complaints: payment trouble tops the list
Coloradans have sent 8,698 mortgage complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since January 2012. The largest group, 2,460, involved trouble during the payment process. The next two are older categories the bureau no longer uses: 1,699 filed under loan servicing, payments and escrow, and 1,620 under loan modification, collection and foreclosure.
- Oct. 13, 2026 Fifth Third Bank Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Oct. 11, 2026 21st Mortgage Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan Closed with explanation
- Oct. 10, 2026 PNC Bank Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Oct. 8, 2026 PennyMac Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with non-monetary relief
- Oct. 8, 2026 PennyMac Struggling to pay: applying for a modification, forbearance, short sale or deed-in-lieu Closed with explanation
- Oct. 7, 2026 Planet Home Lending Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Oct. 7, 2026 Ocwen / Onity Group Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Oct. 7, 2026 Dovenmuehle Mortgage Struggling to pay: an existing modification, forbearance or other relief Closed with explanation
- Oct. 5, 2026 Ocwen / Onity Group Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan In progress
- Oct. 2, 2026 PennyMac Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
The ten newest Colorado complaints about paying a mortgage or getting help with one (not about getting a new loan), from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s public complaint record, as of October 2026. Complaints that name a credit reporting company are left out. Each is one person’s account, which the bureau doesn’t verify. Show all 8,698 →
What to watch before the next edition
Dates already set that could change this page’s figures or Colorado households’ costs.
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Nov 1, 2026
Open enrollment for 2027 health plans
Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s marketplace, opens sign-ups for 2027 coverage, the year the higher prices take effect (see what changed).
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Nov 3, 2026
Tax measures on the ballot
Voters decide 14 statewide measures. Proposition 136 would cap income tax at 4.4%; Amendment 87, which competes with it, would set graduated rates from 3.7% to 8.4%. Proposition NN would raise the state’s cap on tax revenue, known as TABOR, and send surplus money to schools.
Ballotpedia News, Sept. 14, 2026
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Nov 20 and Dec 18, 2026
New state jobless rates
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes state unemployment rates for October on Nov 20 and for November on Dec 18. The October 2026 figures end with August 2026.
Where Colorado ranks highest and lowest
Colorado beside the 50 states and D.C. on the measures people look up most. “Highest” and “lowest” mean among all 51.
| Measure | Colo. | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Distress Index score 30th most distressed · Aug 2026 | 42 | 30th most distressed | Aug 2026 | |
| Household debt per person with a credit report 2nd highest · End of 2025 | $92,690 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | 2nd highest | End of 2025 |
| Median household income 9th highest · 2024 | $96,871 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 9th highest | 2024 |
| Residents in poverty 7th lowest · 2024 | 9.6% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | 7th lowest | 2024 |
| Median rent 5th highest · 2024* | $1,761 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | 5th highest | 2024* |
| Renters spending 30% or more of income on housing 5th highest · 2024* | 50.4% U.S. 47.6% | 47.6% | 5th highest | 2024* |
| Renters paying half or more of their income for housing Tied for 20th highest · 2024 | 25.1% U.S. 26.1% | 26.1% | Tied for 20th highest | 2024 |
| People with any debt 90+ days late Tied for 18th lowest · Early 2025 | 13.1% U.S. 17.2% | 17.2% | Tied for 18th lowest | Early 2025 |
| People with a debt in collections 9th lowest · Early 2025 | 9.0% U.S. 13.2% | 13.2% | 9th lowest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgages with less than 10% equity Tied for 5th highest · Apr–Jun 2026 | 7.1% U.S. 4.7% | 4.7% | Tied for 5th highest | Apr–Jun 2026 |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average Tied for 26th highest · June–August 2026 | 3.9% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | Tied for 26th highest | June–August 2026 |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 25th highest · 2025 | 143.7 U.S. 166.3 | 166.3 | 25th highest | 2025 |
| Residents getting SNAP Tied for 27th highest · July 2026 | 9.6% U.S. 10.5% | 10.5% | Tied for 27th highest | July 2026 |
| Income per person 10th highest · 2024 | $83,055 U.S. $73,204 | $73,204 | 10th highest | 2024 |
* Census five-year survey, 2020 to 2024. Sources for each measure are in Sources and method. The Philadelphia Fed’s U.S. figures are our population-weighted average of the states. Bankruptcy rates use 2025 population. Download this table: CSV.
Questions about Colorado
How much is unemployment in Colorado right now?
Colorado’s unemployment rate was 4.0% in August 2026, the latest month in the October 2026 figures, against 4.1% for the U.S. (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The bureau publishes October’s state rates on Nov 20, 2026. Claims are filed with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Is Colorado expensive to live in?
For housing, it’s one of the costliest states. The typical rent was $1,761 a month in 2020 to 2024, 5th highest among the 50 states and D.C., and 50.4% of renters spent 30% or more of their income on housing (Census Bureau). MIT’s Living Wage Calculator puts what a single adult needs before taxes to cover basic costs at about $54,071 a year.
What is the poorest county in Colorado?
Crowley County. In 2024, 39.0% of its residents lived in poverty, the highest share of Colorado’s 64 counties (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Costilla County is the most distressed on our County Distress Index.
What is the poverty level in Colorado?
The federal poverty guideline for 2026 is $15,960 a year for one person and $33,000 for a family of four. It is the same in every state but Alaska and Hawaii (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Colorado’s poverty rate was 9.6% in 2024, the 7th lowest in the country (Census Bureau).
What is the median household income in Colorado?
The typical Colorado household earned $96,871 in 2024, against $81,604 for the U.S., the 9th highest of the 50 states and D.C. (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates).
What is the richest county in Colorado?
Douglas County, between Denver and Colorado Springs. Its typical household earned $152,657 in 2024, the most in the state, and it had the lowest poverty rate (Census Bureau). It is also the least distressed of Colorado’s 64 counties on our County Distress Index.
Cite or reuse Colorado’s data
For grant applications, legislative memos and news stories.
State Distress Index
Colorado
30thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 42% of the other states and D.C.
On American Default Research’s State Distress Index, a measure of household financial distress, Colorado is the 30th most distressed of the 50 states and D.C.. Coloradans owed $92,690 in household debt per person with a credit report at the end of 2025 (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). That was more than in any state; only Washington, D.C., was higher. Yet just 9.0% of Coloradans with a credit report had a debt in collections in early 2025 (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). The typical renter paid $1,761 a month in 2020 to 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau).
Questions, interviews or a custom cut of the data: press@americandefault.org
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- Late payments, collections, card users near their limitFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerearly 2025
- Household debt, card debt and dollars behindFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifaxend of 2025
- Mortgages 30 to 89 days late; mortgage complaintsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mortgage Performance Trends and Consumer Complaint DatabaseSept 2025; Oct 2026
- Mortgages with thin equityFederal Housing Finance Agency, National Mortgage Databasesecond quarter of 2026
- Bankruptcy filingsAdministrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-22010 to 2025
- UnemploymentU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: state unemployment, August 2026 release and county unemploymentAug 2026
- Poverty and income, state and countyCensus Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates2024
- Rent, housing costs, homeownership, health insuranceCensus Bureau, American Community Survey2020 to 2024; renters paying half or more: 2024
- PopulationCensus Bureau, population estimates2020 to 2025
- Income per personU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis2024
- SNAPU.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP dataJuly 2026
- Cost of getting byMIT Living Wage Calculator2025 dollars
- Poverty guidelineU.S. Department of Health and Human Services2026
- Mortgage help fundU.S. Treasury, Homeowner Assistance Fundthrough early 2026
- Foreclosure lawColorado Revised Statutes, title 38; Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 120; federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41as of Oct 2026
- What changed in the past yearColorado Politics; Colorado Capitol News Alliance via KUNC; Denver7; Colorado Newsline; The Colorado Sun; Connect for Health ColoradoDec 2025 to Oct 2026
- What to watchCensus Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics release schedules; Connect for Health Colorado; Ballotpedia NewsSept to Oct 2026
- PhotosJeffrey Beall (San Luis, 2012) and Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (Pueblo, 2015), via Wikimedia Commons2012; 2015
The State Distress Index has four equal parts: late payments; collections and bankruptcy; jobs; and renters’ housing costs. Its score says what share of the other 50 states and D.C. have a lower four-part average than Colorado’s. The full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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Thanks, that helps.